Baseball game board



Sept. 5, 1933. MAYV|LLE 1,925,842

BASEBALL GAME BOARD Filed Nov. 6, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l B Bf @5 ATTORNEY! Sept 5, 1933@` L. MAYvlLLE 1,925,842

BASEBALL GAME BOARD Fiied Nov. 6, 1951 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR @a @wf/.g

@www ATTQRNEY5 Patented Sept. 5, 17933 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

'This invention relates to a game board and has to do particularly with a device wherein two or more persons may engage in a game with each other, and which is practically identical with 5 the gamev of baseball.

" While the invention may be applicable to other games, it is particularly concerned with base ball and the invention will be described. in connection with the game of baseball. The object yof the invention is the provision of a device wherein the play follows as nearly as possible the play of the regular game of baseball. That is to say, there may be numerous possible plays, some of which'depend upon preceding plays. As a specific example it may be pointed out that a doubleV play or double out in baseball may occur when there are sufficient men in the play that two may be put out. The present invention contemplates a predetermined order in which plays are made so that in playing the game no such play as a double out will be called for unless the men on base or otherwise in play are sufcient in number to permit a double out. While in the regular game of base ball there are an innumerable number ofl plays, the number of plays in the present game are definitely limited to a given number although the divers number of plays capable of being carried out by the game is sufficiently great so as to cover practically all normalV or customary plays. Moreover, the game is so arranged that a player is given a'choice of selecting several unknown possible plays to the end that there is suicient variety to substantially prevent one from memorizing Y, the order in which the plays are arranged.

- In the accompanying drawings:

Fig-1 is a plan View of the game board constructed in accordance with the invention.

40 Fig. r2 isa View substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

fFig. 3 is a plan view of themoving parts of the game with the upper portion of the board removed.

The' `game board from a structural standpoint may comprisean upper board member 1 and a lower. board member 2, and the upper board may have a rim 3 for confining the lower board 2. These boards arev placed together preferably spaced by iillers or therenis a movable device having indicia thereon from'which plays are made, and this device may be inthe form of a disky 5 pivoted on pivot member -6.

Theytop surface of `the board 1 may have a the likey 4. Between theml baseball diamond represented thereon, the same having a home plate and the three bases as shown. Also the board has one or more openings. therein, one of which is at 10 coveredv by a little hinged cap 11. A long opening` 12 may be defined by radial lines, and this opening is preferably provided with a plurality of movable closure members such as hinged doors or the like. As shown, there are four hinged doors referenced 13, 14, l5 and 16 each independently operable, and as shown in Fig. 1, the door 14 is open. This opening may have an enlarged end as at 17, the purpose of which will presently appear. The board may also have otheropenings as at 18, 19 and 20. A

The disk 5, as shown in Fig. 3, has arranged near its periphery a multiplicity of devices such as apertures 21 which are accessible through the portion 17 of the opening in the board. By the use of a sharp instrument or stylus, inserting the same through aperture 17 into a hole 21, the disk 5 may be moved step by step. Each section corresponding to each step of movement of the disk, which may be termed segments, may be divided oii into areas, four as shown, veach hav.- ing indicia thereon representing a ,certain play in the game of baseball. When the disk 5 is properly positioned these four areas all lie respectivelyunder the four doors. By, opening one door the indicia immediately underneath it is visible but the others remain invisible. Similarly, the disk may be provided with suitable indicia to be viewed through the opening 10, and such may comprise dots or the like, as at 22.

Underneath the aperture 18 there may be a movable 'disk for indicating the number of l strikes, the numbers being placed upon thedisk 24 and visible through the opening 18, and this disk may be rotatable by the use of a sharp instrument or stylus cooperating with apertures 25 therein. A similar disk 26 with apertures 27 may underlie the aperture 19 for indicating balls, and a third disk 28 with apertures 29 therein may,

underlie the aperture 20 for indicating the num-l 100 ber of outs.

It will be noted that the step by step; the resultis that the plays may occui1 in predetermined manner. Inasmuch as there are four rows or circles of plays the complexity of the game is maintained to the end that the possibility of a player memorizing the same is practically eliminated. Also with the plays disposed in predetermined arrangement it yis necessary that the game be started at a predetermined point so that no play will come up play disk is moved los v r be properlyv positioned on n Throughout the L opens it and'reads divided od into a which is impossible to make. Accordingly, to start play the rule shall be that the door 11 be opened and the disk moved until a dot 22 ap,- pears thereon. When this is done the game mayy commence. To illustrate further by concrete example, it will be noted that the area marked 1v has indicia which means a double play, shortstop to second to rst. Such a play requires that there be a runner on rst base. Nowif the game were started at this point and the player open the door 13, he would immediately get a double play with no man on rst base. An impossibility. So there is no dot 22 in radial alignment with the area marked and in fact there are a number of dots omittedimmediately preceding the area marked rc, it being appreciated' that the disk is to be rotated counterclockwise. The game cannot be started at any point nearer than the iifth segment away from the double play area, as illustrated Yby thev dot 22y, and the plays between 2211 and 9: are selected. so that if a player chances to select-the double play there willalways be a man on rst base.l This .is but one example of what is meant when it is s aid that the plays are in predetermined'relation and so arranged that when certain plays are called they may always ybe made, the arrangement being such that itis impossible to Vselect a play which cannot be made. disk there may be other places where the marker 22 is not present so that the vgaine cannot be started there, and one such place is Vshown approximately` diametrically opposite the area marked :v. i

The general manner of play shall proceed as follows: first the disk is positioned so that a marker is visible through aperture 10, then the aperture is closed by cover .11. IIfhe player representing they team in the eld now moves the disk one step. The player representing the team at bat selects one ofthe four doors, opens it and reads the play. Assuming'this to have been done with Fig. 1, the rst ball pitched resulted in a two-base hit. Whereupon a suitable marker or man will be placed on second base. Now,V the`player representingthe team in the eld again pitches. the ball, so to speak, by moving the disks one notch, then the 'play representingthe team at bat selects one of the fourdoors, the play. As indicated by some of the indiciain Fig. 3, the play may be anything from afoul b alLstrike, fly out, double play, a ball, and other plays. The ballsvandI strikes and outs maybe recorded by the use of the disks 24, 26 and 28. Of course,'when three'` outs are made the board is reversed so that the player who has represented the team at bat Atakes the eld, and the player who has represented the team in the eld goes to bat. 1 Y

More than four areas and covering doors may be provided as well also as a lessnumber; the segments and areas need not vided or marked 01T by lines, as the indicia may the diskwithout the areas being marked. For convenience some of' theclaims deinethecharacter of the areas by lines butA itis to be understood that such language is intended to 'cover the structure'with or without lines: f j f' Iclaim:

v1. A game board for baseball or the ,like comprising a board,adisk underneath the board piv; oted at its center, said diskbeingV divided rolf into a multiplicity. of segments, each' segmentV being plurality of "radially disposed.

necessarily Ybe di- .to a segment, an elongated aperture in the board above the disk having av shape corresponding to the shape of a segment, a plurality of closure devices each independently operable and each adapted to cover an area in a segment, each area having indicia representing a play in a game, other indicia on the disk circumferentially arranged for indicating proper position of the disk at the start whereby to insure a sequence of possible plays, and closure means on the board operable tc expose and conceal said other indicia.

2. A game board for baseball or the like comprising a pivoted disk, said disk being divided olf into segments, and said disk being divided oi by concentric circular lines whereby each segment is composed ofr a plurality of areas, indicia in each. area representing a play in said game, a board covering the disk concealing the indicia, said board having an opening therein corresponding to the shape of a segment, a plurality of independently movable doors associated with said opening, each door adapted to cover indicia. in

one of the areas, and each door being operable to render an area and the indicia carried thereby visible, said disk havingmeans whereby the same may bemoved step by step with each step corresponding in length tothe width of a segment, said indicia in the several areas of each segment being arranged in a predetermined relation as regards the indicia in the several areas of vother sege ments whereby the plays occur in a predetermined manner said disk having other indicia thereon for indicating proper position of the disk at the start of the game whereby to insure a sequence roipossible plays.

3. A game board for baseball or, the like comids iin

prising a pivoted disk, said disk being divided oil' into segments, and said disk being divided off by concentric circular lines whereby each segment isA composed of a plurality of areas, indicia in each area representing a vplay in said game,I a board covering the disk concealing the indicia, said board having an opening therein corresponding to the shape of a segment, a plurality of independently movable doors associated with said opening, each door adapted to cover indicia in one of the areas, and each door being operableto render the area and the indicia carried thereby visible, said disk having means whereby the same may be moved step by step with each step corresponding in length to thewidth of a segment, said indicia izo inthe several areas of each segment being ar .Y

ranged in a predetermined relation as regards the indicia in the several areas of other segments whereby the plays occur in a predetermined manner, other indicia on the disk for indicating proper position of the diskV at the start of the game whereby to insure a sequence of possible plays, and means on the board for normally concealing said last named indicia.

' 4. A game board for baseball or the like comprising aboard, a disk, underneath the board, pivoted'at its center, said disk being'divided off into a multiplicity of segments, each segment beingv divided 01T into a Vplurality of radially disposed areas, said ldisk having means whereby it may be rotatedA step by step, each step conforming toal segment, an elongated apertureV in the board above thejdisk, having a shape'corresponding to the shape of a segment and of a'length equal to aplurality of saidV areas,.and a plurality of closure devices for the aperture each independently Operable and each adapted to cover an area in a' rality of independently movable doors associated with said opening, each door adapted to cover indicia in one of the areas and all the doors adapted to cover substantially a segment, and each door being operable to render the area and the indicia carried thereby visible while the other areas remain concealed, said disk having means whereby the same may be moved step by step with each step corresponding in length to the Width of a segment.

LLOYD MAYVILLE. 

